NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Today, New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson and City Manager Charles B. Strome, III joined other City officials and cycling enthusiasts in a ride from New Rochelle City Hall to Anderson Plaza to mark the official launch of the first bike share program in Westchester County.
New Rochelle Bike Share – which includes 100 bicycles at 11 locations across the City – is privately funded by P3 Global Management, a subsidiary of European Parking & Smart Mobility leader EYSA. P3GM is a global smart city development company which creates public-private partnerships and facilitates collaboration between municipalities and the private sector to launch innovative urban infrastructure projects.
After a soft launch in March, the bikes – available to rent for $2 for 30 minutes after downloading the City’s bike share mobile app – have attracted over 400 registered users.
“We are excited to have the first bike share program in Westchester County and thank our friends at P3GM for making this a reality,” said Mayor Noam Bramson. “By providing today’s residents — and future residents — with a fun and sustainable way to get around, we help make New Rochelle a healthier, stronger community.”
“Transportation and accessibility are among the top features attracting residents and visitors to the City,” said City Manager Charles B. Strome, III. “Launching the bike share program not only provides the community with a healthy transportation alternative, but also furthers New Rochelle’s progression into a city with sustainability – in every sense of the word – on its agenda.”
“Having spearheaded similar projects in various cities and municipalities across the nation, we are excited for New Rochelle to experience the benefits associated with its new bike share program, said Carlos Pujol, CEO of P3GM. “It speaks to the City’s energy and momentum to be pioneering the initiative in Westchester County.”
“Infrastructure projects like the bike share program are contributing to the overall growth and well-being of New Rochelle and its community members, said City Council Member Barry Fertel, an avid cyclist himself. “Bike New Rochelle reflects the City’s commitment to economic, environmental and social advancement and I look forward to the community’s response to the program.”
The launch of the bike share program is only the latest in New Rochelle’s unprecedented and extensive redevelopment initiative, which launched in 2015 with the signing of a Master Developer agreement with RXR Realty and allows for more than 12 million square feet of new construction including up to 2.4 million square feet of prime office space, one million square feet of retail, 6,370 housing units and 1,200 hotel rooms. More than 1,400 residential units are already underway as of 2018.
Beyond focusing on new developments, New Rochelle launched a series of partnerships and initiatives to help bolster its downtown efforts. The master plan – which includes the rezoning of 279 acres of land around the city’s downtown train station – will also introduce a new arts and cultural district into the downtown area. In addition, the plan aims to position New Rochelle as a tech leader in such sectors as information services, health tech, virtual reality and artificial intelligence. New Rochelle and the Business Improvement District (BID) announced an exciting new partnership with IDEA (Interactive Digital Environments Alliance), a newly formed not-for-profit organization aimed at establishing the City as the next immersive technology hub. The goal of the alliance is to provide creative space and foster an innovative environment for artists and technology entrepreneurs, while in the process developing, promoting and maintaining a vibrant new arts and technology district in the City’s burgeoning downtown area.
To learn more about New Rochelle Bike Share, visit: https://www.bikenewrochelle.com/.
